Garlic Post Harvest Handling and Planting2015 Allium SchoolsSaratoga Springs and BurlingtonCrystal StewartEastern NY Commercial Horticulture ProgramCornell University Cooperative Extension

Harvest at the right timeUndercut garlic before pulling

Handle well at harvest

Prepare for Post-Harvest Success

Post-Harvest Trial

Six farms over two years

Treatments included:-Cutting tops-Cutting roots-Washing garlic-Drying in high tunnels-Drying in barns/sheds-Leaving garlic intact

Combinations of the above

Root Pruning. Roots were cut while garlic was still

moist using a knife or pruning shears. Care was taken not to damage the

basal plate.

Top cutting. Tops were cut to a height of six inches while garlic was green. The mechanical cutting showed

some variation of height.

It’s the little things…

Tops cut 6” tall with sickle-bar mower. Greens left in field. Garlic was undercut to harvest.

Washing was completed using a garden hose and a nozzle. Power

washers were not used. After washing, garlic was air dried

before being placed in the curing area. Garlic was washed until dirt

was removed from the bulb.

Drying in high tunnels: Garlic was moved to high tunnels immediately after

other treatments were completed. All high tunnels had a shade cloth and were

ventilated with fans, preventing temperatures

from exceeding 110ºF.

Open-Air Drying: These treatments were placed in solid but well-ventilated buildings such as barns

and sheds to dry without supplemental heat from

the sun.

Roots and tops uncut: Garlic was left completely uncut in this treatment. It was spread out on drying

racks to leave space for the bulbs to be one layer deep or it was tied into

bundles of 6-10 and hung.

• Trimmed vs. untrimmed: No significant differences were observed between these treatments in regards to bulb quality, weight, or disease incidence.

Results: Root Trimming

Treatment: Roots trimmed, tops trimmed, washed, open-air dried

Disease incidence, particularly Aspergillus and Embellisia, was slightly higher in washed garlic.

Results: Washing bulbs

R to L: Immediately after washing, after curing, 1 leaf removed, two leaves removed

Results: Trimming Tops

Weight

• Garlic in high tunnels dried an average of three days faster than in open air structures

• Garlic dried in high tunnels had slightly better wrapper quality (tighter, less discoloration) at one site each year

• Garlic dried in tunnels also had slightly lower disease incidence (Aspergillus and Embellisia) in two of the three sites in year one, though disease was not severe in any site or treatment

• No garlic treatments showed damage from being dried in the high tunnel.

Results: High Tunnel Drying

• Drying garlic in HT did not cause post-harvest breakdown or increase disease incidence

• Cutting the tops did not increase post-harvest breakdown or increase disease incidence. It also did not reduce weight in one of the two years of the trial.

• Washing garlic immediately improved appearance but had minor effect on long-term appearance and disease incidence

Conclusions

Crystal StewartEastern NY Commercial Horticulture programCornell University Cooperative Extensioncls263@cornell.edu518.775.0018http://enych.cce.cornell.edu/

Thanks to Northeast SARE for the generous support of this project

For more information…

Questions so far?

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Storage

Quality control and garlic seed:

Garlic Bloat Nematode

A rare closer look….

Ditylenchus  dipsaci

Images: Dr George Abawi

Fusarium diseases

Planting time:How do you give garlic the best start?

• Fertility

• Raised beds

• Weed control

• Mulching

Storage

Additional questions, challenges, concerns?